Iglesia Ni Cristo: Philippine Arena

Politically influential Iglesia ni Cristo said Thursday it had started building one of the world’s biggest indoor arenas with a seating capacity of 50,000.

The 74,000-square-meter (796,000-square-feet) mega-structure called the Philippine Arena is part of the Christian sect’s Ciudad de Victoria, a sprawling complex being built just outside the capital Manila.

“It is going to be twice the size of the biggest indoor arena in the United States,” the church said in a story broadcast on its own television station and filmed during the project’s ground-breaking ceremony last month.

In comparison, it said, the Madison Square Garden in New York could only sit 20,000 people, while the Staples Center in Los Angeles has a capacity of 21,000.

Designed by Kansas City-based architecture firm Populous, construction is being carried out by South Korea’s Hanwha Engineering and Construction Corp. and is expected to be completed by 2014 to mark the church’s centenary.

The church said it planned to use the arena for religious gatherings. The complex around it will include a university, a convention center, a medical facility, housing units and a chapel.

The arena itself will cost $175 million, although the bill for the entire project was not revealed.
Founded in 1914 by Filipino Felix Manalo, who left the Catholic church over differences in beliefs, the sect has grown to become one of Asia’s biggest indigenous Christian organizations.

It runs its own television and radio station, and because its members vote as a bloc, aspiring politicians scramble to get the approval of its ministers during elections.

Record breaking civic facility begins journey to realisation in the Philippines

Construction has commenced on the world’s largest indoor arena in Manila, in the Philippines, designed by the international architecture firm, Populous. In a ground breaking ceremony held last week, the arena design was described as a ‘phenomenal structure’.

The 50,000 seat indoor stadium at Ciudad de Victoria, with a construction value of AUD $200m, has been commissioned by the respected Philippine religion, Iglesia Ni Cristo (the Church of Christ) and will be complete in time for the Church’s Centennial Celebration in 2014. Populous has designed the arena with engineers Buro Happold, and construction will be carried out by Hanwha Engineering and Construction Corp.

Project Director, Populous Senior Principal Andrew James, said: “The building’s capacity pushes the boundary of Arena design and will eventually establish itself as the world’s largest indoor arena. The form uses simple geometry to create an elegant appearance, while also giving the venue a powerful presence within its setting.”

The arena has been master planned to enable a further 50,000 people to gather at a “live site” outside the arena, to share in major events. While the arena will hold major church gatherings, it will also operate as a multi?use sports and concert venue, capable of holding a range of events, from boxing and basketball, to live music performances.

Stadium is an open stadia used for different sporting events like Olympic game. Arena is a closed or covered stadia primarily used for gatherings and stage shows though it can also be used for sporting events but minimal. Cowboys stadium though a covered edifice is still a stadium and not an arena.

We don’t need to reiterate this issue to Bitter Ocampo group and Ampalaya party of insecure people out there. We don’t care if Philippine arena is the biggest or the smallest because basically this is not for the glory of particular individuals or country, but for the glory of God. This project is designed for INC and just be thankful that we are sharing this edifice to the entire world and primarily to the Philippines. The people that will build this project are most likely non-members of INC because our INC Construction focuses more on building chapels of different locales (that is why we hired different companies to build and take care of the project, understood?!!). Meaning, non-members of INC are the ones that will be benefited first in this project.

The ThePinoy web site is for informational purposes only. No one associated with ThePinoy assumes any responsibility for its accuracy. The information is subject to change without notice. Any use of, or actions taken based upon any of the information contained on this web site is done entirely at your own risk. Mention of any products or services is for informational purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation. ThePinoy.com and those associated with ThePinoy assume no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance or use of these products.
Vacations Bluegreen Resorts